Prayer for Boldness

Acts 4:23-31

By Nick Bibile

V) 23 went to their own companions. Not to the world, or to their friends and relatives but to the church, body of believers. Worldly friends and relatives would have said, for the sake of peace, don’t get caught up too much in religion. That’s exactly what devil wants.

Rom 1:12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Reported, told them, religious leaders of that day told them not to speak or to teach in the name of Jesus.

Speak any other name. Even use the name God but not the name of Jesus. Jesus of the Bible.

Why is it they don’t want people to speak in Jesus name? They are convicted, guilty of sentencing Jesus to death, now it is a fact that Jesus have risen from the dead and the healing of the cripple man is a fact, he was healed in Jesus name, thousands witnessed the healing.

Second thing why they don’t want people to speak in Jesus name? People are getting saved. The devil doesn’t want people to get saved. Don’t want you to witness. The church is growing, the devil is mad when one sinner repents and embrace Jesus.

Reminds me of Roman Catholicism, dark ages, prevented people to hear the word of God in their own tongue.

John Wycliffe is remembered as the "Morning Star of the Reformation, he went village to village teaching the Bible in their own language. Before Roman Catholic church do any harm to him, he died of a stroke. But Rome hated Wycliff so much after about 31 years later, dug up his bones and burnt into ashes.

John Huss,

These priests deserve hanging in hell,” shouted Hus, for they are “fornicators”, “parasites”, “money misers” and “fat swine.” “They are drunks whose bellies growl with great drinking and are gluttons whose stomachs are overfilled until their double chins hang down.”

The devil will do chain the Christians but the gospel cannot be chained. The devil persecute and kill the Christians but cannot kill the gospel as Jesus died and rose from the dead, gospel will continue and Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Oh, what a powerful sweet name we have, ‘Jesus’

We are saved in Jesus, live in Jesus, die in Jesus, go to heaven in Jesus, eternal life is in Jesus, devil and his followers are destroyed in Jesus. It’s the name that is sweet to our ears, precious to our souls, name that we will preach, teach, witness, pray and live until we die.

One of my favorite scriptures in the Bible is Rev 5

¹ And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. ² Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” ³ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.
⁴ So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read^[ the scroll, or to look at it.

This book is the book of God’s decrees, laid up in his own throne. No one in heaven or earth could accept the challenge to open this scroll: not mohommed, not the popes, not Buddha, not Krishna, not Dalai Lama, not even the holy angels of God, not even holy prophets, no one. Our dearest apostle John wept much as there was no one qualified to open this scroll.

⁵ But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”

The heavenly elder did not say, do not weep, the Son of God, king of kings and the Lord of Lords can open the scroll but showed the human side of Jesus. Lion of the tribe of Judah. Judah was the fourth son of Jacob by Leah. How good was Jacob, how good was Judah? Jesus relates to us, our human nature, how good are you? Root of David, he came from David’s line, how good was David, God who became flesh, a man, he relates to us. We were wicked, filthy rotten sinners but Jesus changed our life, the name of Jesus only he can open the scroll. The name that we live and die.

Companions, church, not the relatives and friends.

If authorities threaten you not to speak in the name of Jesus or to teach, and you went and told your church and have a prayer meeting how would you pray? Oh, Lord, protect us against these men, that no harm will come to us, comfort us O Lord. Keep us safe O God.

V24-28) Raised their voice in one accord to God. They took this as a very serious matter. Jesus told them to witness, now authorities are stopping them.

Not a timid, shy prayer, raising their voices in one in mind, agreeing together.

Praying from the bottom of their soul. Public prayer, praying together raising their voices, by raising their voices they were not shy, timid, tepid, cold, but hot, not ashamed, not scared.

You can pray the same boiling hot prayers in your closet without raising your voice, in your private individual prayers, Hanna’s individual prayer, praying from the bottom of the soul.

What did they pray to God? Acknowledged God as their Creator and redeemer. They are threathend by the earthly authorities but they prayed to the ultimate authority the Creator God.

They quoted Scriptures that relates to their situation. Ps 2:1-2 They used the word of God in their prayers, this is the offensive weapon God has given for his saints against our enemies.

2 Cor 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

God has given us a mighty powerful engine, the powerful engine of prayer.

The religious leaders commanded them not to speak or teach in Jesus name but they prayed, V 29-30

Not that they would hide in safety asking for God’s protection but the opposite. This is God’s will, so they would witness even with more boldness speaking of Jesus.

V 31) God answered their prayers, they had the right priorities in their prayers. Most of the prayers many pray today are focused on themselves, praying mostly for their physical needs. But the priority is praying for spiritual, pray for your growth, your hunger for Christ, pray for boldness in witnessing, pray against those sins that the devil is throwing at you. Seek ye first the kingdom of God first.

When you pray this kind of prayer, what happened they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Weren’t they filled with the Holy Spirit before at the Pentecost that they spoke boldly with other tongues in Acts chapter 2? What happened between Acts chapter 2 and Chapter 4? Was their a leak of the Holy Spirit? No. Holy Spirit dwelling in the believer is a one time act but filling of the Holy Spirit is not a one time act, this is a good example, it can happen many times when you pray.

There is something powerful when Christians get united in prayer, there is a sacred power that goes to the throne of God in Jesus name. Pray that the Lord will fill you with the heavenly floods of his sacred power, not to be drunk of this worldly pleasures but of the power of the Holy Spirit.